Tactile Watch Design by Jake Rynkiewicz 0

Lucky are we to have been blessed with eyes that could spot out things. We can read things hassle-free, admire at nature’s beauty, but the blind? Can they sense things or at least know the current time? Why not! Specially designed for the visually disabled is the new Tactile Watch. So, what’s so intriguing about this watch? The very feeling of raised minute and hour hands with respect to the dots, positioned around the watch face helps the visually disabled to know the current time. Rather than employing a dial, the watch hands are stimulated directly to create a tactile experience. The watchband is made out of flexible rubber material, which makes it even easier for the blind people to take on and off.

This designer got the idea to design watch for visually impaired people when he was researching for his senior thesis project in college. You might think that the blind people search new technologies to restore their sight or a way to navigate the city. In fact, they just want simple things to improve their quality of life. The thesis focused primarily on money recognition for U.S bills and at the same time this industrial designer wanted to expand his research to design a simple product that would appeal a larger user base outside of the visually disabled. He has come up with this Tactile Watch design.

The designer’s primary motto is to design a more user-friendly watch for the blind so that they might have a unique experience as others. While the watch is still at the concept stage, the designer is researching out to incorporate many things for a brilliant outcome.

Designer : Jake Rynkiewicz

Jake says:

Still being at the concept stage I have a lot to figure out as far as the precise mechanics and power requirements. I plan on powering the watch with a 3 volt coin battery which can be easily replaced by the user, and I’m currently exploring options for the style of motor to use for the watch face. I could see there being a few issues with the strength of any small motor used to power the watch because of how much the hands would be felt in the process of reading the time or even brushing against clothing or furniture. Whatever it’s powered by, it will have to be robust enough to withstand daily friction of use. The next steps for this project are to consult with some mechanical engineers and attempt to get the project funded through Kickstarter.